Surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola is in the town of Tropea in the Province of Vibo Valentia. While its history is uncertain, the area is known to have come under the auspices of Basilian monks of the Eastern rite some time during the early Middle Ages. In the 11th century, the island’s religious reigns were passed to the Benedictines under guidance of the Normans. Tropea and the surrounding communities were gradually Latinized, and interestingly, the Abbey of Montecassino has held dominion over the island sanctuary for over 1,000 years.
Little of the original structure remains due to the devastating earthquakes of 1783 and 1905. Today, Santa Maria dell’Isola has become one of Calabria’s most internationally recognized symbols.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.